Spectral Taxonomy
Witness.
Spectral Taxonomy is a collection of paper and textile works shaped through sustained attention to coral bleaching. Layers are stained, folded, torn and stitched into structures that hold colour, light and shadow.
Across the collection, repetition reveals small differences in surface and form. The works invite close looking at fragility, persistence and the traces of ecological change.
Works
Coral, Still
2026
Linen, organza, cotton thread and acrylic ink
103 × 103 × 5 cm framed
Veil of Erasure
2025
Hahnemühle archival paper, vellum, acrylic ink and acrylic paint
170 × 154 × 7.5 cm framed
Ultramarine Requiem
2025
Hahnemühle archival paper, vellum, acrylic ink and acrylic paint
60 × 56 × 7.5 cm framed
Bloom Residuum
2025
Hahnemühle archival paper, vellum, acrylic ink and acrylic paint
70 × 62 × 7.5 cm framed
Veil of Memory
2025
Hahnemühle archival paper, vellum, acrylic ink and acrylic paint
55 × 55 × 7.5 cm framed
Lamina I — Calcite Drift
2026
Hahnemühle archival paper, vellum, acrylic ink and acrylic paint
30 × 30 × 5 cm framed
Lamina II — Tidal Remnant
2026
Hahnemühle archival paper, vellum, acrylic ink and acrylic paint
30 × 30 × 5 cm framed
Lamina III — Silicate Pulse
2026
Hahnemühle archival paper, vellum, acrylic ink and acrylic paint
30 × 30 × 5 cm framed
Lamina IV — Drift Polyphony
2026
Hahnemühle archival paper, vellum, acrylic ink and acrylic paint
30 × 30 × 5 cm framed
Lamina V — Brine Sketch
2026
Hahnemühle archival paper, vellum, acrylic ink and acrylic paint
30 × 30 × 5 cm framed
Lamina VI — Bleachprint
2026
Hahnemühle archival paper, vellum, acrylic ink and acrylic paint
30 × 30 × 5 cm framed
Lamina VII — Diatom Hum
2026
Hahnemühle archival paper, vellum, acrylic ink and acrylic paint
30 × 30 × 5 cm framed
Lamina VIII — Whisper Algae
2026
Hahnemühle archival paper, vellum, acrylic ink and acrylic paint
30 × 30 × 5 cm framed
Lamina IX — Salt Memory
2026
Hahnemühle archival paper, vellum, acrylic ink and acrylic paint
30 × 30 × 5 cm framed
Lamina X — Pale Chroma
2026
Hahnemühle archival paper, vellum, acrylic ink and acrylic paint
30 × 30 × 5 cm framed
Lamina XI — Evaporant
2026
Hahnemühle archival paper, vellum, acrylic ink and acrylic paint
30 × 30 × 5 cm framed
Lamina XII — Trace Fossil
2026
Hahnemühle archival paper, vellum, acrylic ink and acrylic paint
30 × 30 × 5 cm framed
Lamina XIII — Fractured Bloom
2026
Hahnemühle archival paper, vellum, acrylic ink and acrylic paint
30 × 30 × 5 cm framed
Lamina XIV — Subaqueous Shard
2026
Hahnemühle archival paper, vellum, acrylic ink and acrylic paint
30 × 30 × 5 cm framed
Lamina XV — Ghost Lamella
2026
Hahnemühle archival paper, vellum, acrylic ink and acrylic paint
30 × 30 × 5 cm framed
Spectral Taxonomy
In Spectral Taxonomy, the lamella, a thin layer repeated across a surface, becomes a recurring structure. Paper is stained, embossed, folded and torn. Its edges retain traces of handling, while the spaces between layers gather light and shadow.
Colour concentrates in narrow bands or recedes beneath pale surfaces. Changes in spacing, density and orientation give each work a distinct character. Repetition makes these differences more apparent, inviting the viewer to move between the whole structure and its smallest details.
The title brings together a sense of lingering presence with the ordering of forms. The works gather as material specimens within an ongoing enquiry into coral bleaching, vulnerability and change.
With Coral, Still, this investigation extends into linen, organza and cotton stitch. Cloth introduces softness, tension and transparency, carrying the layered structure of the paper works into another material language.
Spectral Taxonomy forms part of Material Elegies, Russell-Brett’s ongoing material investigations into memory, ecology and the practice of attention.